Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Visiting Maquoketa


The beautiful, historic Hurst Hotel restored into apartments.


Hello friends and welcome to the blog today.  On Tuesday I was visiting the small town of Maquoketa (MUH-koh-kuh-tuh), Iowa.  It's about 33 miles east of where I live in Jones County.  Maquoketa is special to our family.  Mom lived here as a youth.  Years later, I sprinkled her ashes high on a hill overlooking this town.  I enjoy visiting now and then to relive some old memories and make some new ones.



Here is the little bar and grill called Perxactly.  It's not the easiest name to say!  An alternative spelling is "perzactly".  It's a colloquialism and contraction for the words "precisely" and "exactly".  This establishment was listed as having one of the ten best burgers in Iowa.  I had to try the grub!  It was pretty good but made crave the "Gunderburger" at the Irish Shanti in northern Iowa.  Nonetheless, this one was pretty tasty.

This was the Jalapeno burger... It was smothered in pepperjack cheese.




This old Queen Anne style Victorian mansion is across the street from where my maternal grandmother lived.  It was built in the latter 1800s for Dr. George Johnson and his wife Lydia.  The doctor had a practice in Maquoketa for 20 years.  What is interesting is that his ancestors were some of the first (if not the first) to settle in Jones County (one county to the west - where I live).





I decided to stay the night in the van.  There is a nice Walmart here at the south end of town.  It's on a hill and near a Kwik Star gas station.  The fuel stop has a powerful free wifi setup.  The Walmart vantage point is also excellent for television reception, too.  I'll definitely stay here again.

With supplies nearby, no camping fees, and wi-fi nearby, what more can a person ask for?


Another reason for camping last night was to test the new interior at marginal temperature conditions.  It was cold and rainy outside.  Most of the night the inside of the van was close to 70 degrees using just the pilot light on the Mr. Heater Buddy.  

Two other lessons were learned.  When snoozing, I'd always assumed that one had to sleep on the transverse bed facing the TV (head at driver's side rear wall).  That severely limited the leg room and I was always kicking the TV cabinet or the overhead storage bins.  It was so much easier sleeping the other way on the bed (head at passenger side rear); there was far more horizontal and vertical leg room ... and even an armchair to support the dangling lower limbs.  Quite by accident, I also learned to dress fully while on my hands and knees on the carpeted floor.  It was possible to put the pants on so much more easily than standing and stooping.

For just a short little overnighter, it was enjoyable get out and take in some fresh air.  I'm already thinking up new ideas for little trips around this corner of Iowa.  Stay tuned.

Thanks for visiting today!

Brad, Jesse, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa

Monday, April 18, 2016

Pancakes and Totes

The fire department of Center Junction, Iowa  pop. 111.

Hello and welcome to the blog today.  On Sunday I took the van and visited a pancake breakfast for the Center Junction Fire Department.  Center Junction is a small, recently unincorporated area about a dozen miles east of where I live.

Delicious carbs!

In this part of rural Iowa, fundraiser breakfasts, soup suppers, and fish fries abound.  Not only are they a terrific way to raise money but they help us socialize in a place where many people don't go into the larger cities very often.  Things don't move too fast - nor change very much - in this part of the world.  In the mid-1980s I used to go to college with the son of the mayor of Center Junction.  Back then the town boasted a population of nearly 170 folks!  In recent days, the town disbanded and its functions are run by the county.  The former town is down to about 111 people.



It's been a quiet few days around here.  The weather is in the mid 70s and camping sounds like fun; unfortunately the work schedule has not been terribly cooperative.  All is not lost.  In early May, Sis will be here and we're going to Decorah for a few days of vacationing and fishing.  In the meantime, I've been working on the homebase and van.

Three of the four totes pictured (the other is behind)  These
little totes were $5 each at Walmart and are a perfect size.


One of the recent changes to the van was to add some storage underneath.  I've settled on a system of four totes that help provide everything needed for a trip but not a bunch of unnecessary crap.  Due to space limitations, here is what I've got in each tote:

  • Tools and Safety Tote - Hand tools, headlamp, electrical tape, batteries, first aid kit, fillet knives, cutting gloves, lighters, propane cans, ear and eye protection, and a box of bullets.
  • Emergency Clothing - various casual apparel, toiletries, bath towel ... everything needed to maintain one's hygiene.  Spare shoes are hidden behind this tote (accessible from the front)
  • Cooking Equipment - Hot pot, stick blender, folding skillet, bagged plastic silverware, cooking oils, paper towels, various utensils, can opener, plastic cups, coffee cup, bagged paper plates, mini cutting board, dishwashing soap and cleaning sponges.
  • Food -  Various non-perishable, frequently used items such as small cans of Beanie Weanies, granola bars, small cups of oreo cookies, macaroni and cheese cups, mashed potato cups, fish fry coating, spice collection, can of exotic tea bags, packets of apple cider mix.

Not everything will fit in the totes nor should everything should be stored in them.  For other items that are frequently moved in and out of the van, I have a little shopping basket like what you see at Target. It's how I transport the pill box, extra paper towels, unusual food items, garbage bags, etc.  If needed, I can also tuck the camping grill in a small space under the bed because it is heavy enough to stay put.  This approach really seems to work well!  

My buddy Trevor, a friend from McDonalds, checking out the van.


So far the new arrangement has worked very well.  I'll probably go somewhere and camp in the next day or two just to get some fresh air and have some fun.  There's a place just down the road that was rated as having one of the best hamburgers in Iowa.  It sounds worth investigating!  Stay tuned!

Take care and thanks for stopping by today.  Happy and safe travels always!

Bradford, Jennifer, and Jesse James
Jones County, Iowa  



Tuesday, April 12, 2016

A Trip up North With Jesse

Lower Buck Creek - Garnavillo, Iowa

Hello and welcome to the blog!  I got back a little early from a trip that went much differently than planned...but was still a lot of fun!

On Monday, kitty Jesse and I took off in the van in order to do some trout fishing and camping.  It did not go so well - at least not at first.

South Cedar Creek, west of Garnavillo, Iowa

Our first stop was at South Cedar, a tiny trout stream in Clayton County.  I'd never fished here before but sure liked the layout of the stream. Sadly, nothing would bite.  The second destination was nearby Lower Buck Creek, just east of Garnavillo (pictured at the top).  Again, there were no bites... and not even the tire tracks of a stocking truck in recent history.  Jesse was happy though.  He got to play at both streams and loved the terrain.

Our next stop was at the trout hatchery upstream from Elkader.  I watched Gary stock the Turkey River with fish but the water flow was very high and I was lucky to catch just one brook trout.  The fishing was becoming frustrating.

After having lunch at a local bar and grill, I decided to head back toward Upper Buck Creek.  Just before arriving, a DNR truck was spotted leaving the area.  Score!  Buck is one of the creeks that is occasionally stocked but on an unannounced basis. Within an hour, I'd caught the other four of the Monday possession limit.  They were nice ones!

Jesse sleeping on the bed in the van after playing at 4 parks in one day.

A bit later Jesse and I visited yet another familiar stream, Bloody Run creek.  I didn't do any fishing but filleted the fish already caught using water from the park's well.  Jesse rolled around in the gravel dust until his fur was caked with dirt a.k.a "dust bathing".  A day after he does this, his fur becomes softer as oils are released.

Later we headed over to Cabella's on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River.  I had needed some trout bait.  While there, I'd thought about buying some forceps (for removing hooks) but was too cheap to spend the money.  This trip I got tired of pulling hooks out of fish only to embed them in my fingers!

Strip steak and corn/ asparagus blended soup
Monday night's dinner was simple.  I was too tired to cook anything fancy but did want to pass along this tip which worked very well.  A day before cooking a steak, squeeze the juice of a lemon over the meat and put it in a bag.  The acid of the lemon tenderizes the steak and the results are amazingly tender and flavorful.  I think it is also healthier than using M.S.G. or other chemicals!

The campground of choice was Pike's Peak, just a dozen or so miles from the trout stream.  At this time of the year it is still $11 (half price for off season).  Jesse and I were both pooped out (poop being the operative word) and we went to bed around 7:00 PM.  The kitty had crapped on the comforter so the blanket ended up getting shoved under the bed... and is currently in the washing machine at home.  

6:00 AM -- Time to go fishing!

 

In the morning, we went to back to lower Buck Creek (first picture) and grabbed five more beautiful fish.   Someone had fished my favorite hole the night before and as fate would have it, dropped a nearly new pair of forceps!  They are the good ones like you see at Bass Pro or Cabella's.  What a lucky find considering I'd wanted a pair the day before and did not want to spend the money!

Jesse played to his heart's content.  As I held the fish stringer in front of him, he sniffed the trout and licked his lips.  He's going to have a treat on Wednesday as some are cooked.  

Sorry but I don't think of Skittles candy when someone says "Taste the Rainbow!"

Though fun, it was a crazy and short trip.  We never got in a second day of camping.  Little went as planned - even the meals.  (Breakfast was cold steak and Oreos)  I never got to Decorah... or even out of Clayton County.  But a lot of spontaneous fun was had.  Jesse had a blast and that made it more enjoyable for me. There's always a next time!  The lesson learned was not to schedule things too closely... or very much at all!

What's coming up?  In early May my sister is visiting and we're going to visit Decorah and do some sight seeing and fishing, of course!  Between now and then there might be a little unplanned camping here and there.

Take care and thanks for dropping in.  Happy and safe travels!

Brad, Jesse James, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa




Saturday, April 9, 2016

Cackleberries for the Trip


One of the best parts of spring is the farmer's markets.  We're a little too early for that but this nice lady and her daughter were set up and selling farm fresh eggs about a mile from where I live.  There are increasing numbers of signs offering hen's eggs - often called "cackleberries" - in this rural county.  I bought a dozen of these monster brown eggs for $3.  I've seen them as low as $2 / dozen but oh, were these beauties!  They're going on the camping trip this week.  Jesse is in for a treat.

"What?  You're not taking me camping?  I promise I'll be good!"

At the moment I'm washing dishes and packing the van.  Jesse and I are going to hit the road Monday and come back Wednesday morning.  We'll be visiting some familiar places - any maybe some new ones - up near the Minnesota / Iowa border.  There's a "new-to-us" trout stream that sounds inviting as well as a fishing hole just 200 feet south of Minnesota -- but still in Iowa.

Some tasty food will be cooked up along the way... I'll likely put the recipes up, along with clickable links.  

There will be some scenery pics... With a wind forecast of just 6 MPH, I'm hoping to also get some good footage with the drones.  Hopefully the first post will go up Monday evening.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a terrific rest of the weekend.  

Brad, Jesse, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa

Happiness is a full belly and some concrete tor scratching my back.





Friday, April 1, 2016

A New Shelf and Giggle Juice

Hello and welcome to the blog today.  I just completed a new shelf and mounted it to the left of the van's step area.  The intention is to have various items easy to reach from outside should the need arise.

At 9" wide and 24" tall,
this little cupboard has a
lot of useful goodies.

The whole little cupboard (with a 5/8" lip on each front edge) has four shelves.  The first level is reserved for trout bait.  Eight jars will last most of the fishing season.  The second shelf has the liquor collection - things like Kinky, Tequila Rose, Malibu, Jack Daniels, and Bailey's.  The cheap stuff is in the back (where you also see a couple small cans of beans.  

The third shelf only has a container of various sauces (BBQ, Buffalo, Honey Mustard, Ranch) from McDonalds.  I might use this shelf for more food items or some catfishing tackle, stringers, etc.  The bottom level has several cans of Simply Nourish (expensive but high quality) cat food food for my passengers as well as a candle for making the van smell better.

One might ask, is that all the food that will be on board?  I'm going to have a tote in the back with many kinds of spices, more quick snacks (granola bars and beanie weenies), and other stuff for cooking and eating.  More about that later.  It's going to take an evening to figure out what actually needs to go into various totes under the bed for traveling.

A converted gas station that sells more tasty forms of alcohol...
After working on the van this morning I decided to drive into town and see if there was any progress on the new establishment...and to my surprise it was open!

Duane, the guy who ran the Family Foods grocery store (until it closed last fall), is operating a new liquor store in town.  It's called Giggle Juice Liquor Station.  They have a superb collection of libations.  I loaded the little liquor shelf in the van with the good stuff.  Today was Duane's first day of business... It was surprising how many people lined the streets to check out the new booze biz.  

There's not much else going on.  During the week I'll be working on touching up the paint on the van, organzing and packing, etc.  The work schedule is such that I'm hoping to go fishing (weather permitting) the week of the 11th.  There are still trout streams I've not yet explored so it should be a blast.

Thanks for visiting!

Bradford, Jennifer, and Jesse James
Jones County, Iowa